Director Identity Verification for UK Companies

By Sharcross Agyemang, Founder & CEO of Novaen Corporate

Director identity verification is not a future change to put on a distant checklist. It became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025. For founders running a UK company in 2026, the task is to understand the verification process and the filing deadline that applies to each role.

A headline about a November transition period is not a substitute for checking your company's own dates. Existing directors and people with significant control, known as PSCs, do not all complete the same filing on the same day.

Verification and Filing Are Separate Steps

First, an individual verifies their identity. After successful verification, Companies House issues a personal code. The code is then used to connect that verified identity to the relevant company role.

Completing the identity check does not automatically finish every company filing. You need to know where the code must be supplied, for which role and by which date.

If you direct more than one company, that distinction matters. You may have one verified identity, but each company's compliance process still needs attention.

What Existing Directors Need to Do

Companies House guidance says directors must provide their personal code as part of their company's next confirmation statement. Directors of more than one company must do this for each company.

Check the confirmation statement date and filing requirements on the register. Do not assume you can wait until the end of a general transition period if a company-specific filing requires action earlier.

A practical review should identify every directorship, the relevant company date, whether verification is complete and who is responsible for the filing. That turns a vague regulatory deadline into an actionable list.

What New Companies Need to Prepare

When registering a new company, you will be asked to provide the personal code for each director as part of the registration filing.

Build verification into formation planning before the application becomes urgent. Agree the ownership structure, collect consistent director information and check which identity documents can be used through the chosen route.

This is particularly important when several directors are in different countries. The verification options and accepted documents should be checked individually rather than assumed to be identical for everyone.

PSC Deadlines Are Different

A person who is both a director and a PSC of the same company must provide the code separately for each role.

For the director role, the code is supplied through the confirmation statement. For the PSC role, it is supplied through the dedicated PSC identity-verification service. Companies House guidance gives a 14-day period beginning the day after the company's confirmation statement date. Filing the confirmation statement early does not move that PSC window.

For an existing PSC who is not also a director of the same company, guidance specifies the first 14 days of their birth month. Someone added as a PSC after 18 November 2025 can provide the code when first added or within 14 days of being added.

Check the dates shown on the register for the individual PSC. The correct question is not simply whether someone has verified. It is whether verification details have been provided for the right role within the applicable period.

Choosing a Verification Route

You can verify directly through Companies House or use a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider, known as an ACSP. Check the current instructions and document requirements before choosing.

Only a registered authorised agent can carry out client identity verification through that route. Do not assume every formation provider is authorised merely because it offers company registration. Ask who will perform the check and verify that provider's status.

Similarly, do not assume that identity verification applies to every person filing a document today. Companies House lists additional filing roles for later implementation. Treat each obligation according to the current guidance rather than combining all future reforms into one deadline.

A Simple Compliance Checklist

• List every director and PSC, including individuals holding both roles.
• Check whether each individual has verified and received a personal code.
• Check each company's confirmation statement date.
• Check the separate PSC window shown on the register.
• Assign an owner to each filing and record completion evidence.
• Keep personal codes securely and share them only with someone who needs them for an authorised filing.

The aim is not to collect documents indiscriminately. It is to maintain a clear relationship between the verified person, the company role and the required filing.

Where to Check the Current Rules

Use Companies House guidance on when to verify your identity as the primary reference. Review your own register entries and get professional advice where your circumstances need interpretation.

Novaen Corporate helps founders coordinate company formation and the wider business setup. Ask which verification and filing arrangements apply to your package rather than assuming any single purchase covers every obligation.

Compliance becomes manageable when the dates, roles and responsibilities are explicit. Preparation is not another layer of administration. It is what prevents the administration from becoming a problem.